Companies House identity verification through an authorised agent (ACSP)
UniFi Advisory is registered with Companies House as an Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP), so we can verify your identity for Companies House. Every director and person with significant control (PSC) must verify. We check your documents to the Companies House standard and tell Companies House you are verified, and it emails you a personal code to link to your roles. Verifying yourself through GOV.UK One Login is free.
Is UniFi Advisory on the Companies House ACSP list?
Yes. UniFi Advisory Limited is registered with Companies House as an Authorised Corporate Service Provider and appears on Companies House's published List of Authorised Corporate Service Providers (ACSPs).
Two points about the list, both from Companies House. It only includes agents that asked to have their details published, so it may not show every ACSP. And Companies House does not endorse or recommend any agent on it, including us. Before you use any agent, it suggests checking its separate list of ceased or suspended ACSPs, which is updated every 2 weeks.
What is an ACSP?
An ACSP, also called a Companies House authorised agent, is an agent such as an accountant or solicitor who files with Companies House on behalf of others (GOV.UK: being an ACSP). To register, an agent must be supervised by a UK anti-money laundering supervisory body at all times, and Companies House must refuse anyone who is not a fit and proper person (Companies Act 2006, section 1098B). Registered ACSPs have been able to verify identities for Companies House since 8 April 2025, and by 31 March 2026 they had verified 783,000 people (Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act progress report, June 2026).
Who has to verify their identity with Companies House, and by when?
Company directors and people with significant control (PSCs) must verify, along with people in equivalent roles such as LLP members, general partners and managing officers (GOV.UK: verifying your identity). Identity verification became a legal requirement on 18 November 2025, and your deadline depends on your role (GOV.UK: when to verify).
| Who | When to give your personal code |
|---|---|
| New director, including when a company is registered | Before the company is registered or before you are appointed; the filing includes each director's personal code |
| Existing director | With the company's next confirmation statement. Companies House will not accept the statement until every director has verified |
| PSC added after 18 November 2025 | When you are added to the register, or within 14 days |
| Existing PSC who is not a director | Within the first 14 days of your birth month |
| PSC who is also a director | As a director, with the confirmation statement; as a PSC, within 14 days starting the day after the confirmation statement date |
Existing directors and PSCs were given a 12-month transition from 18 November 2025, which Companies House expects to be complete no earlier than the end of 2026 (Companies House transition plan). For a PSC who is also a director, filing the confirmation statement early does not move their 14-day window. Plenty of people still have it to do: at 30 June 2026, 55.33% of director appointments and 41.86% of individual PSC appointments had been verified (Companies House statistics).
More people come into scope later. Companies House plans to require verification for people who file on a company's behalf, and to require third-party filing agents to be registered ACSPs, from no earlier than November 2027, with at least 6 months' notice. We are already registered, so our clients will not need to change agent when that arrives.
Should I verify through GOV.UK One Login or through an ACSP?
Both routes give you the same Companies House personal code. Verifying directly is free. Using an ACSP suits people who would rather an accountant handled it, or whose documents don't fit the online checks.
Directly through GOV.UK One Login
- Cost: free of charge.
- How: use the GOV.UK One Login app, answer security questions online, or enter your photo ID details and then visit a participating Post Office.
- What you need: one photo ID, such as a biometric passport from any country or a UK photo driving licence, plus your current address and the year you moved in. UK residents may be able to use bank details and their National Insurance number instead.
Through an ACSP such as UniFi Advisory
- Cost: an ACSP may charge a fee for its service. We'll give you a clear quote first.
- How: we check your documents to the Companies House standard and tell Companies House you are verified.
- What you need: a person-checked route can accept two photo documents, or one photo document plus a document such as a bank statement or utility bill. See which identity documents we can accept.
If the One Login app works for you, use it: it costs nothing, and we're happy to say so. Whichever route you choose, Companies House says not to post or email your identity documents to it (GOV.UK).
How does ACSP identity verification work with us?
George handles each verification himself, from the first check to the code arriving in your inbox. We're based in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, and work with directors across the UK. The standard allows checks to be made remotely or in person.
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1
We work out who needs to verify
We look at each director and PSC, the roles they hold and their deadlines, so nobody misses a window.
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2
You send your details
Your full name, home address and email address, plus the identity documents we ask for.
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3
We check your identity
We confirm your documents are genuine and match your name and date of birth, that you match the photo, and your address for the last 12 months.
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4
We tell Companies House
Your name, date of birth, home address, email address and which documents were checked and when. No copies are sent; we keep our records for 7 years, as required.
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5
Companies House emails your code
An 11-character personal code, usually within a few hours. It may land in your spam or junk folder.
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6
Your code is linked to your roles
On the confirmation statement, a PSC submission or a new appointment. The public register then shows your name, the verification date, our name and our anti-money laundering supervisor.
Sources: identity verification standard, telling Companies House you have verified someone and using an ACSP (GOV.UK).
What documents do I need to verify my identity for Companies House?
Through an ACSP, the Companies House standard allows two options, and we'll tell you which we're using before you send anything (GOV.UK: identity verification standard).
| Option | What you provide | How it is checked |
|---|---|---|
| Option 1 | One photo ID, such as a biometric passport, a UK or EU photocard driving licence, a UK biometric residence permit or card, a UK Frontier Worker permit or an eVisa | Identity document validation technology (IDVT) checks the document's cryptographic and physical security features |
| Option 2 | Two Group A (photo) documents, or one Group A and one Group B document. Group A includes a passport or driving licence; Group B includes a bank or building society statement, utility bill or council tax statement | A person trained to spot false documents checks them, remotely or in person |
Whichever option is used, you also need to show your address history for the last 12 months. Under Option 2, anyone living outside the UK must provide at least one government-issued document. Cancelled or replaced documents are not accepted, and expired ones only in limited cases. Once you're verified, you don't need to verify again if a document expires later.
Where do I find my Companies House personal code, and how do I use it?
In your email inbox. After an ACSP confirms your verification, Companies House emails your 11-character personal code to the address the ACSP gave it, usually within a few hours (GOV.UK: using an ACSP). If it hasn't arrived, check your spam folder, then ask us to check the email address we recorded. If that was right, Companies House can resend it.
The code belongs to you, not to any company, and in most cases you only verify once (GOV.UK: verifying your identity). You use it to:
- confirm your verification on your company's next confirmation statement;
- be appointed as a director, or become a PSC;
- link your verified identity to each role you already hold, at every company where you hold one.
Keep it as safe as your UTR and share it only with people you trust, such as the accountant who files for you. It is not the same as your company's authentication code for online filing.
What happens if a director does not verify their identity with Companies House?
It is a criminal offence. Under section 167M of the Companies Act 2006, an individual must not act as a director unless their identity is verified, and the company and every officer in default commit an offence if the company lets an unverified director act. In England and Wales the fine on conviction is unlimited (legislation.gov.uk). In practice:
- the company cannot file its confirmation statement until every director has verified;
- an unverified person cannot be appointed as a new director, register a new company or register as an ACSP;
- missing a deadline can lead to a financial penalty or prosecution, and a note will in future be published against an unverified person's name on the register (GOV.UK).
It is being enforced. On 16 September 2026, three directors of two companies became the first to be convicted of identity verification offences, and all three were also convicted after their companies failed to file a confirmation statement on time (Insolvency Service). A PSC who needs more time can ask for a 14-day extension, but must ask before the deadline (Companies House blog).
Which other Companies House services can we help with?
Verification feeds into the rest of a company's Companies House filings. We look after those too, so your codes, filings and deadlines stay in one place.
Setting up a new company
Every director must verify before a company can be registered, and the registration includes each director's personal code (GOV.UK). We verify the directors first, so registration isn't held up.
Confirmation statements
The next confirmation statement includes a statement that each director has verified. We collect the codes, complete it and file it before the deadline (GOV.UK).
PSC identity verification
A PSC can share their code with an ACSP, which can provide it for them during their 14-day window. We diarise each window and submit the code in time.
Directors of several companies
One verification and one personal code, linked to every company where you are a director or PSC, with each deadline tracked separately.
Filing your accounts
Annual accounts prepared and filed at Companies House on your behalf as part of our accountancy service.
A yearly check on where you stand
Before each confirmation statement date we check every director and PSC is verified, so a missing code doesn't hold up a filing.
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Get in touchFrequently asked questions
What is an ACSP at Companies House?
An Authorised Corporate Service Provider (ACSP), also called a Companies House authorised agent, is an agent such as an accountant or solicitor who files with Companies House on behalf of others. Registered ACSPs can also verify people's identities for Companies House. To register, an agent must be supervised by a UK anti-money laundering supervisory body, and Companies House must refuse anyone who is not a fit and proper person.
Can my accountant verify my identity for Companies House?
Yes, if your accountant is a registered Authorised Corporate Service Provider. UniFi Advisory is registered with Companies House as an ACSP, so we can check your identity documents and tell Companies House you are verified, and Companies House then emails you your personal code. Verifying directly through GOV.UK One Login is free, and an ACSP may charge a fee for its service.
Do I need to verify my identity with Companies House for each company?
No. You verify once and receive a personal code that belongs to you, not to any company. You then give that code for each role you hold. For example, a director of several companies gives it with each company's next confirmation statement, and a director who is also a PSC gives it again for the PSC role.
Do I need to verify my identity with Companies House every year?
No. In most cases you only need to verify your identity once. Your personal code stays with you, and you do not have to verify again just because a document you used expires after the checks were done. You will need the code again whenever you take on a new role, such as a new directorship.
Where do I find my Companies House personal code?
If you verify through an ACSP, Companies House emails your 11-character personal code to the email address the ACSP gave it, usually within a few hours. Check your spam or junk folder. If it has not arrived, ask the ACSP to check the email address it recorded. If that address was right, Companies House can resend the code.
When is the PSC identity verification deadline?
It depends on when the person became a PSC. A PSC added after 18 November 2025 gives their personal code when they are added or within 14 days. An existing PSC who is not a director has the first 14 days of their birth month. A PSC who is also a director has 14 days starting the day after the company's confirmation statement date. A PSC can ask for a 14-day extension before the deadline.
How do I find an Authorised Corporate Service Provider on the ACSP list?
Companies House publishes a List of Authorised Corporate Service Providers (ACSPs) on GOV.UK, showing each agent's name, anti-money laundering supervisor, town and postcode. It only includes agents that asked to be listed, so it may not show every ACSP, and Companies House does not endorse or recommend anyone on it. Check its separate list of ceased or suspended ACSPs too.
What happens if a director does not verify their identity with Companies House?
Acting as a director without verifying is a criminal offence for the director, and for the company and every officer in default if the company lets them act. The company cannot file its confirmation statement until every director has verified, and an unverified person cannot be appointed to a new directorship or register a new company. The first convictions came on 16 September 2026.
Sources: being an ACSP, when to verify, List of ACSPs and verifying your identity (GOV.UK).
Written and reviewed by George Nicholson BFP ACA, ICAEW Chartered Accountant. Last reviewed 20 October 2026. This page is general information, not personal advice.
Need a director or PSC verified for Companies House?
Book a free call with George. We'll tell you who needs to verify and by when, and you'll get a clear quote before any work starts.